Combination can opener and drinking cup



Sept. 10, 1963 G. H. TAFT' COMBINATION CAN OPENER AND DRINKING CUP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 12, 1961 GEORGE H. TAFT INVENTORI BY 6g W ATTY Sept. 10, 1963 5. H. TAFT COMBINATION CAN OPENER AND DRINKING CUP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 12. 1961 GEORGE H. TAFT INVENTOR.

ATT 'v United States Patent 3,103,297 COMBINATION CAN OPENER AND DRINKING CUP George H. Taft, 860 Lake Forest Drive, Oswego, Oreg. Filed June 12, 1961, Ser. No. 116,418 1 Claim. (Cl. 220-90.2)

This invention relates to a combination can-piercing device and drinking cup.

One of the principal objects of the invention is the provision of :a drinking cup provided with can-piercing instrumentalities depending from its bottom wall, guide means for attaching the cup to the top of a beverage can and sealing means associated with the cup and guide means to prevent leakage between the top of the can and the outside :of the cup after the top of the can has been pierced.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof and in which:

FIGURES l, 2 and 3 are perspective views, respectively, of the drinking cup, a coupling means and beverage can all on :a reduced scale and in position for operative inter-engagement with each other as illustrated in FIG- URE 4 which is on an enlarged scale.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary detail view of the drinking cup and one of two identical can-piercing instrumentalities secured to and depending from the bottom wall of the cup.

FIGURE 6 is a topplan view of FIGURE 5 rotated through 180' degrees.

FIGURE 7 is a View similar to FIGURE 5 illustrating the function of flexible sealing flanges within the coupling member.

FIGURE 8 is an elevational view of a modified form of the invention and a fragment of a beverage can to which it is attached, and

FIGURE 9 is a view similar to FIGURE 8 showing a further modification.

With continuing reference to the drawing, wherein like references of character designate like parts, reference numeral 1 indicates generally a conventional beverage can sealed at its top and bottom ends in the usual manner. Reference numeral 2 indicates generally the coupling member which is of semi-rigid material such as plastic or the like, having a reduced skirt portion 3 adapted to fit snugly about the top end of the can as illustrated in FIGURE 4 and integrated with an upper cylindrical portion 4 having .an annular detent 5 therein for engagement with an annular groove 6 formed in the outer wall of a metallic cup member 7.

The wall of the coupling member at the juncture of the top and bottom portions thereof is thickened as shown in FIGURE 7 and provided on its interior with integrally molded flexible sealing flanges 8, 9 and It).

The cup member is preferably flared outwardly at the top portion thereof and provided with a bottom wall 13 which, as best illustrated in FIGURE 1 is provided with two diametrically opposed can-piercing instrumentalities 15 made of metal and shaped as shown to provide a pointed end 16 and cutting edges 17. The top end of each instrumentality is laterally flanged as at 18 for secure- 3,103,297. Patented Sept. 10, 1963 ment as by soldering or the like about one edge of openings 14 in the bottom of the cup.

After applying the coupling member to the top of the can the cup member is inserted into the top portion of the coupling. Evenly distributed downward pressure on the cup, which is easily accomplished by natural down- Ward pressure of the hand of the user, will force the metal cutting instrument-alities 15 into and through the top of the can to form openings therein corresponding substantially to the shape of the cutters. When the cutting operation is completed the sealing flanges 8-10 as best illustrated in FIGURE 7 will assume sealing positions against the bottom of the cup and against the rim of the can and thus prevent any leakage between the cup and the inside of the coupling member.

In the modified form shown in FIGURE 8, the metal cup member 7A has depending therefrom four guide arms 20, each having a spring portion 21 struck inwardly for engagement with the Wall of the can 1A below the rim 22 thereof. The bottom portion of the cup is provided with an annular recess 23 for the reception of a sealing ring 24 which may be made of neoprene or any other suitable resilient material.

The cup is guided onto the can into the position shown by the guide arms 20, and when so positioned the metal can piercing instrumentalities 15A will have pierced the top of the can at two diametrically opposed points.

In the further modification shown in FIGURE 9 the bottom wall of the cup member 7B is provided with diametrically opposed metal can piercing instrumentalities (not shown) the same as in the other forms of the invention, and also provided with a skirt portion indicated generally at 26 cut or molded into a purality of fingers 28 normally downwardly converging as shown in broken lines, but of suflicient resiliency to spring over the top rim of the can into spring-urged engagement with the wall of the can. To facilitate guiding of the bottom end of the skirt portion over the rim of the can, the bottom end of each finger 2'8 is tapered downwardly and outwardly as at 30.

While I have shown particular forms of embodiment of my invention, I am aware that many minor changes therein will readily sugggest themselves to others skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Having thus described my invention what I claim= as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A combination drinking cup, can-piercing instrumentality, and coupling means adapted to interconnect said drinking cup and the-top of a can sealed with a lid,

said drinking cup having a bottom wall member and an annular vertical Wall member,

said annular vertical wall member having an inside surface and an outside surface,

said annular vertical wall member having an annular groove in its outside surface and the top portion of said annular wall member formed into an outwardly flaring lip,

said bottom wall of the cup having at least one opening therein,

at least one can-piercing instrumentality carried by said bottom wall of the cup and extending downwardly through said opening,

said coupling means comprising a vertically disposed annular skirt portion adapted to snugly surround the top end of a can and integrated with an annular top portion,

said top portion of the coupling means having an inside surface and an outside surface and said inside surface thereof having an annular detent therein removably engaged within the said annular groove in said vertical annular wall of said cup, and

sealing means on the interior of said coupling means for sealing engagement with the bottom of the cup when inserted in said top portion of said coupling means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Ballard Oct. 5, 1937 Langfeld July 3, 1951 OCasey Jan. 8, 1952 Gilbert Jan. 10; 1956 Dungey Apr. 14, 1959 

